Interim Executive Director’s Message

by Kaleen’s Deatherage

It’s the first day of summer as I write to you, and I find myself thinking about the promise and possibility of a new season. The Mazamas has the possibility of a new season, a season full of new growth and opportunity that lie just on the other side of making the nonprofit structure and bylaws changes we’ve been discussing the past several months.

I want to applaud you, the members, for your engagement and your passion. We're making 100-year decisions for the Mazamas, and the impacts of your choices will be felt for decades to come. As we weigh the choices before us, it’s a good time to step back and think about what will help the Mazamas succeed far beyond the time that any of you will be involved or even alive. With that 100-year vision for the Mazamas in mind, I want to talk to you about why we should go through the hard work and make the complex choices required to change our governance structure and the bylaws which govern the organization.

The reality I see looking at your books, at your membership decline, and the loss of volunteers and staff, is that you're hemorrhaging right now as an organization. You are running out of money, burning out and losing talented staff, being beaten by your competition, and younger members generally are not motivated by the same benefits and priorities as your older members. In addition, you can’t meet the demand for climbs so your newest participants (BCEP grads) are getting their needs met in other places. And finally, you don’t have community programming, which jeopardizes your 501 c(3) status because it supports the assertion that you are operating a membership club, and not a community-serving, mission-focused nonprofit organization. It’s time for some remodeling!

Let’s use that analogy, remodeling a house. How many of you have carried out a remodel? To achieve your vision of a new kitchen or bathroom, or the benefits of adding 500 square feet to your house, it’s necessary to accept that things will get messier before everything is done. People are going to be moving through your house making messes, and you’ll need to give them space to work. You may have to move into the basement short-term, or to give up having access to the stove, shower, kitchen sink, or dishwasher, maybe for a month, or even longer. So why withstand the inconvenience and discomfort of a remodel? Because you believe in the benefits that you will enjoy once the work is done.

So, what benefits lie at the end of this remodel for the Mazamas? Why is this hard work worth going through? Can you envision the final product? Here’s what I can see: ■ A balanced budget and sustainable financial model that allows you to strategically invest in programming and growth; ■ A more cohesive and diverse board that shares ideas, collaborates effectively with staff and members, and are empowered by the organization’s governance structure to transparently carry out the strategic vision and financial oversight duties of the organization; ■ A fundraising plan that is achievable and clearly defined with multiple revenue sources and the ability to raise donations from not only your membership, but also from grants and the public at large; ■ A more empowered staff with the resources to accomplish their jobs, who choose to remain with the Mazamas over time, and who are excited to be on your team because their passion for the mission matches that of the members; ■ An organization that is attractive to outdoor adventurers from across the state and the Nnorthwest, with the ability to add new members, new programs, outings, and activities because you have the people power to offer and sustain them; and ■ The ability to remain a leading voice in the mountaineering community while sustaining the reputation and brand awareness that have served Mazamas members and the local community for 128 years!

I’m going to give it to you straight, it's going to feel messy—at times maybe even a little uncomfortable to get there. You will need to embrace change, together we need to sell the vision of the future to those who are skeptical and possibly unsure about this remodel. Some ways we’ve always done things will likely need to adjust. The question is, are you, as a member of the Mazamas, willing to go through this? Can you commit to living through the messiness of the remodel to get to the refreshed and reorganized Mazamas, ready to carry out the mission that comes at the end of the process?

The details of the changes the Mazamas is proposing will be available by the time you read this article. As a board and staff, we’ll be engrossed in the task of explaining why those changes are necessary and working to earn members’ support for the proposal. So today, I’ll leave you with this question. If you could personally guarantee the future of the Mazamas and position the organization to succeed for the next 100 years, but you would need to compromise on something about the Mazamas which you hold dear for that to happen, could you accept that?